DC-DC converters include several active and passive components, including a power stage for regulating the voltage of a load such as a processor. The power stage is coupled to the load by an output inductor. The components of a DC-DC converter, including the output inductor, are attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) together with the load. The PCB has various electrical pathways for electrically interconnecting the components of the DC-DC converter, and electrically connecting the power stage of the converter to the load. DC-DC converter power stages are conventionally attached to the PCB in the same plane as the output inductor, increasing the size of the PCB. Also, conventional layout design practices for PCBs further complicate such an arrangement of the DC-DC converter components.